The Next Draft: Meet Tree House Brewing Co.’s puzzle maker

Wednesday

The other day I scoured Tree House Brewing Co.’s website, thirsty for something new to add to my quarantine-survival kit.

I ignored the beer, looking for the jigsaw puzzles.

Yes, Tree House has been selling puzzles – inspired by co-founder and head brewer Nate Lanier’s vivid photography. The brewery released the puzzles last year, long before a pandemic made them hip again.

With much of the country sheltered at home, puzzle sales have skyrocketed, according to NPR, leading to a country-wide shortage. In some cases, puzzles have become as hard to find as toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

Tree House, too, has sold out of all its puzzles, the work of illustrator and designer Nate Duval, who acknowledges that now is an excellent time to be a puzzle maker. He started working with the brewery back when it still packed people into its tiny shed in Monson – himself included.

“I recently had discovered Tree House myself, and I was the excited person in line waiting for that Julius growler," he said from his studio in Longmeadow.

Before craft beer, Duval worked in the music industry, creating merchandise – album covers, buttons, Frisbees, posters, and T-shirts, among other things – for some of his favorite bands, including Phish, the Grateful Dead and the Dave Matthews Band. Tree House’s owners have worshiped many of the same bands and had seen Duval’s designs at shows.

“The band merchandise I used to make or still make ended up being giant creative business cards, and sometimes opened eyes to art directors or merchandise people at different businesses who want that same feel to their product,” Duval said. “Beer and music merchandise are similar in a lot of ways, and even have crossover in the people who’re interested in those things.”

Just as he took on Tree House as a client, Duval began evolving as a designer. His early work focused mostly on posters and T-shirts, but in the last few years, he moved to board games and puzzles, which he calls more functional and useful pieces for mass marketing.

“I started developing my own puzzles and board games, not only for myself but also for other people,” he said. “After having some success with my own line, it sparked something in me and made me rethink my approach to merchandize for my band clients and brewery clients. How many tulip glasses with the brewery’s name printed in the logo does a guy need? And, you can’t dedicate your whole closet to your favorite band or brewery.”

In cutting puzzles for Tree House, Duval collaborates with Lanier, a passionate photographer. All the photos you see on Tree House’s website and social media accounts – from the vibrant shots of its Charlton brewery and the picturesque woods that surround it, to the colorful pictures of its cans – come from Lanier’s lens.

“The idea behind the project was to give Nate and his photography a creative outlet,” Duval said.

Duval used Lanier’s pictures to cut a series of four 500-piece puzzles (hyperlink to https://nateduval.com/blogs/news). One photo shows the road leading up to brewery and Tree House sign you pass under, all covered in fluffy white snow. According to Tree House, it’s one of the harder puzzles to finish.

During the last few weeks of isolation, pictures of completed Tree House puzzles have become nearly as ubiquitous as shots of its beer.

Duval told me that more puzzles are on the way, though it won't be any time soon due to the protracted production time and high demand. In the meantime, you can find some of his other pieces on Tree House's online shop, such as pins, hats, and glasses.

The more merchandise Duval creates for Tree House, the more he understands how the brewery has meticulously crafted its image and culture. That concern for every detail, whether about one ingredient in a beer recipe or single puzzle piece, is a key to its success.

“They don’t phone anything in. They want everything to be great, but not just for themselves, but the people who make these long drives to get there and buy their beer,” he said